Dao De Jing: A Minimalist Translation - Laozi

Chapter Seventy Six

• 人之生也柔弱其死也堅強 • 萬物草木之生也柔脆其死也枯槁 • (•)故堅強者死之徒 • 柔弱者生之徒 • 是以兵強則不勝木強則兵 • 強大處下 • 柔弱處上

The people are born (indeed!) soft and weak. They die (indeed!) hard and inflexible. The ten thousand creatures, the grass and trees, are born (indeed!) soft and fragile. They die (indeed!) dried and withered. Therefore : that which is hard and inflexible is a follower of death. That which is soft and weak is a follower of life. Thus if a weapon is inflexible, the consequence is defeat. If a tree is inflexible, then it snaps. Inflexible and great dwell below. Soft and weak dwell above.

♦The people [they] are born (indeed!) soft and weak. They die (indeed!) hard and inflexible. The ten thousand creatures, the grass and trees, [they] are born (indeed!) soft and fragile. ♦They die (indeed!) dried and withered. Therefore : that which is hard and inflexible is a follower^A of death. That which is soft and weak is a follower of life. Thus² if a weapon is inflexible, the consequence is defeat².^B [not victory] If a tree is inflexible, then it snaps°. Inflexible and great dwell below^C. Soft and weak dwell above.

Notes A : “follower” as in disciple or one who agrees with a particular way of looking at things B : an inflexible weapon shatters easily; this line can be translated in many ways, because “weapon is inflexible” can also mean weapon is strong army is inflexible army is strong C : interestingly, this is the same symbol translated in #61, #66, and #68 as “lower-than” (which was a good thing), so in this case it is the inferior qualities which are lower-than Cross-references soft : #10, #36, #43, #52, #55, #78 weak : #3, #29, #36, #40, #55, #78 die/death : #6, #33, #42, #50, #67, #74, #75, #80 hard : #36, #43, #78 follower of death and follower of life : #50

Chapter Seventy Seven

天之道其猶張弓與 • 高者抑之 • 下者舉之有餘者損之 • 不足者補之 • 天之道損有餘而補不足人之道則不然損不足以奉有餘孰能有餘 (而) 奉 [於] 天下唯有道者 • 是以聖人為而不恃功成而不處 • 其不欲見賢 •

The Way of heaven, how it is just like stretching a bow? He who is high is pressed down by it. He who is low is lifted by it. He who has excess is reduced by it. He who does not have enough is filled by it. The Way of heaven Reduces what has excess and fills what does not have enough. The Way of people on the other hand is not like this, And takes from those who do not have enough in order to offer it to those who have too much. Who can have too much and offer it to the world? Only he who possesses Dao. Thus the sage : Acts, but is not concerned with the results. Accomplishes his tasks, but does not dwell on them. He does not desire to display his virtue.

The Way of heaven, how it is just like stretching a bow ? He who is high is pressed down by it. He who is low is lifted by it. He who has excess is reduced by it. [decrease] He who does not have enough is filled by it. The Way of heaven Reduces what has excess and fills what does not have enough. [decrease] The Way of people on the other hand is not like this, [<contrast>] And takes from [those who] do not have enough in order to offer it to [those who] have too much. [decreases] [excess] Who can have too much and offer it to the world²? [excess] Only he who possesses Dao. Thus² the sage² : Acts, but is not concerned with [the results]. [depend upon,rely upon] Accomplishes his tasks, but does not dwell on them. [results,achievements] He does not desire to display his virtue. [show]

Notes Cross-references Way of heaven : #9, #47, #73, #79, #81 he who “possesses Dao” : #15, #23, #24, #31, #65 acting but not concerned : #2, #10, #51 accomplishing tasks : #2, #9, #17, #34 and not dwelling on them : #2, #9 not displaying oneself (showing off) : #22, #24, #47, #72

Chapter Seventy Eight

天下莫柔弱於水而攻堅強者莫之能勝 • 以其無以易之 • 弱之勝強 • 柔之勝剛 • • 天下莫不知 • 莫能行 • 是以聖人云 • 受國之垢是謂社稷 [之] 主受國 [之] 不祥是謂天下 [之] 王正言若反 •

In the world, nothing is softer and weaker than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong, There is nothing that can surpass it. This is because it endlessly replaces itself. Weakness conquers strength. Softness conquers hardness. In the world, there is no one who does not know this, But there is no one who can practice it. Thus the sage says : Accepting upon oneself the disgrace of the nation Is called being master of the shrines. Accepting upon oneself the misfortune of the nation Is called being king of the world. Honest words seem contrary.

♦In the world², nothing is softer and weaker than water. ♦Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong, ♦There is nothing that can surpass it. [them] ♦This is because it endlessly² replaces{changes} it[self].^A Weakness [it] conquers strength. [victorious,beats] Softness [it] conquers hardness. [victorious,beats] In the world², there is no one who does not know this, But there is no one who can practice it. [perform] Thus² the sage² says : Accepting [upon oneself] the disgrace of the nation Is called being master of the shrines^2B. Accepting [upon oneself] the misfortune² of the nation [not lucky] Is called being king of the world². ♦Honest words seem contrary.

Notes A : the grammar of this sentence is very difficult to parse; I do not know if 無以 meant “endlessly” when the DDJ was written, but this is the only translation that seems to make sense B : the symbols specifically refer to the shrine of the god of soil, and the shrine of the god of grain Cross-references soft : #10, #36, #43, #52, #55, #76 weak : #3, #29, #36, #40, #55, #76 hard : #36, #43, #76 strong : #3, #29, #30, #33, #36, #52, #55, #67 soft conquers hard : #36, #43 no one who can practice it : #70 the sage says : #57

Chapter Seventy Nine

和大怨必有餘怨 • 安可以為善是以聖人執左契而不責於人 [(•)故] 有德司契無德司徹天道無親常與善人

Harmonize a great resentment, And there must exist some remaining resentment. How can this be considered good? Thus the sage : Holds the left side of an agreement, But does not demand payment of people. Therefore : to have De is to take charge of your agreements; To be without De is to take charge of taking away from others. The Way of heaven, while without favor, Is always with virtuous people.

♦Harmonize a great resentment, ♦And there must exist some remaining resentment. ♦How can this be considered² good? ♦Thus² the sage² : Holds the left side^A of an agreement, But does not demand [payment] of people. Therefore : to have De is to take charge of your agreements; ♦To be without De is to take charge of taking away from others. ♦The Way of heaven, while without favor, ♦Is always [together]with virtuous people.^B

Notes The point of the beginning of this chapter seems to be that the sage does not create resentments in the first place A : Lau says that the left side of a contract or agreement was the creditor’s side, so the sage is the one who is owed B : Hatcher points out that while the Way of heaven itself is without favor, virtuous people have aligned themselves with it (because of their virtue), hence it is “with” them Cross-references Way of heaven : #9, #47, #73, #77, #81

Chapter Eighty

• 小國寡民使有什伯之器而不用 • 使民重死而不遠徙雖有舟輿無所乘之雖有甲兵無所陳之使 (民) 復結繩而用之甘其食美其服安其居樂其俗鄰國相望雞犬之聲相聞民至老死不相往來

In a small nation with few citizens : Ensure that it has the weapons of ten nobles, but does not use them. Ensure that the citizens take death seriously, and do not migrate far. Even though they have boats and carriages, there is no place to take advantage of them. Even though they have armor and weapons, there is no place to display them. Ensure that the citizens return to knotting ropes and using them, Find deliciousness in their food, Beauty in their clothes, Contentment in their dwellings, Happiness in their customs. Although neighboring nations overlook one another, And sounds of roosters and dogs can be heard in one another – The citizens reach old age and die, And do not come and go between one another.

♦In a small nation with few citizens : Ensure that it has the weapons^A of ten nobles^B, but does not use them. [make,cause] [tools] [Count] Ensure that the citizens take death seriously, and do not migrate far. [make,cause] Even though they have boats and carriages, there is no place to take advantage of them.^C Even though they have armor and weapons, there is no place to display them.^D ♦Ensure that the citizens return to knotting ropes and using them^E, [make,cause] ♦Find deliciousness in their food, Beauty in their clothes, Contentment in their dwellings, Happiness in their customs. ♦[Although] neighboring nations overlook one another, [look at] [each other] ♦And sounds of roosters and dogs can be heard in one another – [chickens] [each other] ♦The citizens reach old age and die, ♦And do not come and go between one another. [each other]

Notes A : the symbol literally refers only to tools, but has been associated with weapons in #31, #36, and #57 : “sharp tools”, “weapons are not the tools of a noble man” B : the symbol specifically refers to a Count (see #32), but in keeping with other chapters, this is interpreted more generally as “nobles”; the entire phrase probably means “as many weapons as the armies of ten Counts would have” C : have no need to use them; in other words, they do not want to leave, as supported by the last paragraph D : compare to #36, where the sharp tools of the nation cannot be shown to the people E : according to Ames&Hall, knotted ropes used to be used for record-keeping Cross-references nobles (in general) : #32, #37, #39, #42, #62 die/death : #6, #33, #42, #50, #67, #74, #75, #76 citizens do not fear death, take death seriously/lightly : #74, #75 returning : #14, #16, #19, #20, #22, #25, #28, #34, #40, #52, #58, #60, #64, #65